Volgograd area settlements lose power after ice rain damages over 20 supports
Eight settlements in the Kotovsky District of the Volgograd Region were left without electricity due to ice rain. The district head, Oleg Kuzmin, reported on the situation in his Telegram channel.
«Due to strong wind gusts, ice rain, and snow, there have been wire breaks, damage to supports and insulators, leading to a temporary power outage in several settlements: the village of Mokraya Olkhovka (partially), and the villages of Kryachki, Netkachi, Tarasovo, Doroshevo, Pereshchepnoye, Korostino, Plemkhoz,» the official writes. «Emergency crews are working on site. Additional emergency crews are arriving from neighboring municipalities. Today, it is planned to connect power from backup sources in the villages of Korostino and Plemkhoz.»
The most difficult situation, according to the district head, is on the section between the villages of Mokraya Olkhovka and Pereshchepnoye— more than 20 power line supports have been damaged there. Access roads to the power lines are being cleared to repair the damage.
«Social facilities (schools, hospitals, and kindergartens) are being supplied with electricity using backup sources,» stated Oleg Kuzmin. «Duty officers have also been organized to monitor the situation.»
Residents of the Dubovsky District in the Volgograd Region have also complained about similar power issues. In particular, in the village of Gornaya Proleyka, they have been unable to establish a stable power supply for the third day.
On the evening of February 1, the governor, Andrey Bocharov, commented on the situation in the region:
«Services ensuring the functioning of life support systems in the Volgograd Region are operating in a special mode due to weather conditions,» according to a message published on the Telegram channel of the Volgograd Region administration. «According to Rosseti Yug (the regional power grid company), in Volgograd and the Volgograd Region, a special operating regime has been introduced in the company»s area of responsibility due to deteriorating weather conditions— severe ice, wet snow with rain. Ten crews are involved in eliminating emergencies at energy facilities: 37 specialists and 13 units of special equipment. Fifteen backup power sources with a total capacity of about 9 megawatts have been prepared. Socially significant and infrastructure facilities are under special supervision. The road situation also remains under special control: about 400 units of equipment are on standby, and sufficient anti-icing materials have been stockpiled. Due to the rapidly changing weather conditions, specialists remind that 31 rest areas with over 4,000 spaces have been created on regional highways where motorists can wait out the bad weather.«
Additionally, according to weather forecasters, a sharp cold snap is expected to hit the region overnight into February 2, and forecasters have already issued an emergency warning due to abnormal frosts.
